London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025

Struggling to get recruits, US Army raises enlistment bonus

Struggling to get recruits, US Army raises enlistment bonus

Maximum payout for new troops is being raised to $50,000 in hopes that extra cash will help get critical jobs filled

The US Army has reportedly increased its largest enlistment bonus by 25% as it tries to overcome pandemic-related disruptions and entice recruits amid fierce competition to fill key positions.

The maximum bonus has been raised to $50,000 from $40,000, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday, citing the head of Army Recruiting Command. Only skilled recruits who commit for six years in certain high-demand fields will qualify for the top payout.

Major General Kevin Vereen told the news agency that Covid-19 lockdowns have interrupted recruiting efforts at schools and other public venues. Meanwhile the army faces tough competition from other employers for the most prized new hires.

“We are still living the implications of 2020 and the onset of Covid, when the school systems basically shut down,” Vereen said. “We lost a full class of young men and women that we didn’t have contact with face-to-face.”

Vereen didn’t specify the jobs for which skilled recruits can get the maximum bonus. Positions in niches such as special forces and missile defense can often come with large bonuses, the AP said, but target slots for the highest payouts may change from month to month as the army’s hiring needs fluctuate.

“We’re in a competitive market,” Vereen said. “How we incentivize is absolutely essential, and that is absolutely something that we know is important to trying to get somebody to come and join the military.”

"We want to promote the value of serving your country first, but we also know that this generation and I guess human nature, you know, it’s all about compensation, too."


The army’s recruitment bonuses totaled more than $233 million in the fiscal year that ended on September 30, down from a record total of more than $485 million in 2018, when the largest US military branch failed to meet its hiring goal. The 16,500 new hires who got enlistment bonuses last year were paid an average of more than $14,000.

Vereen said this year’s recruiting goal will be about the same as 2021’s target of 57,500. The military’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate could also be a factor in new hires. More than 10,000 Army troops still hadn’t gotten their first jab as of last month, and US Army Secretary Christine Wormuth warned that those who continue to refuse the vaccine face the threat of being fired.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
×